Archive for the 'Umpires' Tag Under 'Angels' Category

Home plate umpire Bill Miller collapsed after being hit in the knee by a Joe Smith pitch that got by Chris Iannetta. After staying down for a few minutes, Miller appeared to be OK, as he finished the game behind that plate.

Angels right fielder Kole Calhoun strung a line drive that hit crew chief Mike Winters where it hurts Tuesday night in Anaheim.

Fortunately, Winters appeared fine after the play, as he seemed to be wearing the right equipment.

Calhoun was awarded first base and baserunner Johnny Giavotella was awarded second, as the play was deemed umpire interference.

Under Rule 2.00 of the Official Rules of Major League Baseball, umpire interference occurs "when a fair ball touches an umpire on fair territory before passing a fielder."

The batter is awarded first base, and baserunners advance only if they are forced. This is the case in every scenario, even when a ball down the line hits the first- or third-base umpire and would likely have gone for extra bases.

Tigers catcher Gerald Laird tends to home-plate umpire Jeff Kellogg after he was hit in the facemask by a foul tip Saturday. (AP Photo by Chris Carlson)

Home-plate umpire Jeff Kellogg was injured in the second inning of Saturday night's game when a foul tip off the bat of Torii Hunter hit Kellogg in the facemask.

Kellogg took a knee for a few minutes, then walked off the field with the Angels' trainer. The Angels said he would be evaluated throughout the night and also on Sunday, if necessary.

Kellogg was replaced behind the plate by first-base ump Tim Timmons. During the Tigers' half of the fourth inning, Miguel Cabrera took exception to a strike call by Timmons, and after Cabrera hit into a double play and Prince Fielder struck out to end the inning, Cabrera continued to argue. Timmons ejected Cabrera, as well as Tigers third-base coach Gene Lamont.

Back on Aug. 15, Hunter inadvertently injured home-plate ump Greg Gibson. Hunter slid into home plate, tumbled sideways, and a cleat from his shoe struck Gibson above the left eye, opening up a cut. Gibson left the game.

October 25th, 2010, 11:34 am by Sam Miller, The Orange County Register

The Common Man finds a gem: A New York Times story that finds photographic evidence of poor umpiring in baseball, along with a national columnist calling to use advanced play-review technology to avoid mistakes in the future.

In 1952.

Next Year for the World Series and perhaps for key games during the regular season, baseball may adopt an idea from horse racing and install a ‘photo finish' camera at first base to double check the umpires. The idea definitely is under discussion, because top flight arbiters for some time have felt that they are placed on the spot and needlessly when close plays develop. Before the regular season ended, one veteran umpire stated that he had brought up the proposal and that it had received a very favorable response…

And a great old-timey quote: "Why, you could have driven a wheelbarrow between Hodges and the bag on that play."

I'm all for robot umpires. The goal of an umpire's job, in a very simplistic sense, is to make sure that every call he's asked to make is consistent and correct. Robo umps could certainly do this.

Consider this from the story...

"Bill James, senior baseball operations adviser for the Boston Red Sox and a pioneer in advanced baseball research, envisions a scenario where technology—maybe in the form of sensors placed in the balls, bases and players' cleats—could be used to take the umpires out of it."

Even a blown call that cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game isn't enough to change Mike Scioscia's mind on the expanded use of instant replay in baseball.

Immediately after tonight's game against the Royals, the Angels manager said he hadn't seen the play in question -- but he still remained staunchly opposed to anything more than limited use of instant replay to review calls.

"There are too many plays that are close that would possibly be up for review," Scioscia said. "I think it could become dysfunctional if you put it in any more than this (the current use for home run calls)."

Scioscia was on a special committee set up by Bud Selig last winter to discuss a wide range of topics relating to the game. Tigers manager Jim Leyland was also on the committee and might have a different opinion after Jim Joyce's call went against the Tigers.